Vertical folding fire-door.



'v No. 889,005. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908 R. W. HARE.

VERTIGAL FOLDING FIRE DOOR. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 15, 1907.

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Rpw. BARE. `VERTICAL FOLDING PIRE DooR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1907..

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i ROBERTV.A BARE-OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

VERTICAL FOLDING- FIRE-DOOR.

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Specication'of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26,1908.

application filed August 15, 1907,. 'serial No. 388,642.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ROBERT W. HABE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county? of Allegheny and 'State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improveventing the spread of fire in a building inv which there is an elevator shaft, doorways or other openings tending to create a draft.

My invention aims to provide a novel vertically folding fire door that will occupy a way or opening to be closed by the door; It

is generally the practice to use solid'doors which require considerable space above the door-way or opening, when the door is opened, thus preventing the fire door from being used in alow. compartment, or in a.

room where the doorframe or opening eX- tends in close proximity to the ceiling.

in constructing my improved door, I have aimed -to provide a vertically movingl door that can be easily and quickly-folded to occupy a comparatively small space, and in connection with the door, I use novel means for temporarily holding the door, in a folded position, also means for quickly releasing the same and guiding the door into a closed osition, should a fire occur in the vicinity o the door." rTo this end I construct the iire door of a plurality of vertically moving 4folding sections and employ weights as a counterpoise for the various sections, said counterpoise device being arranged to insure a positive operation and closing of the door in case of fire.

TheA detail construction entering into my invention will be presently described and 'then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure is aperspective view of a door constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the 'door 1n anropen and folded position, and 3 is a similar l view'of the door in a closed'position.

in the accompanying drawings, l designates a door-way or opening, and at the sides of the door-way are arranged metallic vertical bars 2, which are suitably secured to a wall 3 having the door-way or opening 1. The vertical bars 2 extend above the doorway and intermediate their ends have their front Hanges 4 cut away, and bent outwardly to provide guide lugs 5. The vertical bars 2 serve functionally as guides for a vertically ino-ving door comprising a weighted section -,anvlntermediate section, 7 and atop section 8, said sections being hinged together, as at 9 and 10. The intermediate section 7 is hinged to the front edge ofthe weighted section 6, whereby the intermediate'section can fold outwardly, while the top section 8' is hinged to the rear edge of the intermediate section, whereby the top section 8 can fold rearwardly. comparatively smallspace above the door- The lower edge of the bottom section 6 is weighted, as at 11 and is provided with a transverse bar 12 having its ends protruding beyond the vertical sides of the section 6 and pierced, as vat 14. Connecting with the pierced ends of the bar 12 are cables 15, said cables passing over grooved pulleys or sheaves 16, journaled in bearings 17 carried by the wall 3, said bearings and pulleys being arranged adjacent to the up er ends of the vertical guide bars 2. The fpiee ends of the cables 15 are provided with weights 18, these weights assisting in counterbalancing the folding door, when in a raised or folded position. Connecting with one end ofthe bar 12 is a cable 19 passing over a revoluble pulley or sheave 20 carried by the wall 3, said cable being connected to a weight 21 by a fusible soft metal link 22 of a conventional form, thislink being susceptible to the action of heat, and melting to release the weight 21 in case of fire. The weight 2l with the assistance of the weights 18 fully counterbalance the doorY when the same is in a raised or Afolded position, but when the weight 21 is released, the weight of the section 6 of the door is sufficient to overcome the counterpoise of the weights 18 and to descend by gravity, straightening the sections of the door as will presently appear.

The top section 8 is connected by a cable 23 to a weight 24, said cable passing over lrevoluble pulleys 25, carried by the wall 3,

above-*the door-way and the upper ends. of

the vertical guide bars 2. `IQsimply em loy the weight 24 to preventl the descent` o the upper edge of the top section 8 until the bottom section 6 has traveledav pre-determined distance and has straightened the sec-v tions 7 and 8, at which time the descent of thedoor by gravity-operating in excess of the counterpo'lse carries all the sections down and closes the door-way.

The bottom section 6 is of a greater-width than the sections 7 and 8,\and is -guided in-,its

' fold outwardly, but to gui'de s'aid sections,

movement atv-all times by the vertical guide bars 2. The sections 7 vand 8 are of a less width than the section 6, whereby they can when being" moved,' I provide the upper vertical edges of the section 8` with trunf nions orpins 26 engaging' the' vertical` guide bars 2.

Assuming that the weight21 is released,

the weighted section 6 immediately'descends,

While the up` er edge of the top section 8 is temporarily eld by the weight'24. As the section 6. descends, the edges of the intermediate section 7 strike the guide lugs 5.,'forcing the section 7 inwardly into vertical alinement with the section 6, This movement of the intermediatesection tends to straighten the top section 8, and this top section"ispre""" vented frombuckling bya flange 27 carried by the lower edge of the sectionlS, said flange engaging the top edgeof the intermediate section 7,' when thedoor is folded To limit the upward movement of the door,

when it is being o ened, and to-insure the sections 7 and 8 fo ding, I arrange a stop or .guard 28' at the upper ends of' the vertical guide bars 2, said stop or guard being carried by .the wall 3. 1

It is thought thatthe automatic operation of the fire door in case of ilre will be readily understood from the above description, taken in connection .with the drawings, and while I' have not herein illustrated any securing means for the door in the closed position, it 1s obvious that any suitable locking device vcan be used .to hold the door down to the floor-or for holding it back against the frame of the door-way or o ening 1. y Having now descri ed my inventionwhat I claim as new, is f 1. In a ire door, the combination with a wall liavingan opening formed therein, of verticallydisposed guide-bars arranged at the sides of said opening and havingv their front flanges. cut away to provide voutwardly extending' guide lugs', a door movably mountedl between said bars and comprising a weighted bottom section, an intermediate section andv a top section, all hinged-to- Uethei, said'intermediate and top sections being of a less width than saidweighted sec tion, weightsv for counter-balancing said door when in a raised position,- a. weight for temporarily retarding the downward movement of said-top section, and means for retaining said top section in engagement with said guide-bars.

2. A -irev door com rising three hinged `Sections, guides secure to the wall or Icasing -which said door closes, said guldes being cut away to permit' of two of said sections swinging outwardly, lugs carried by said guides for vguidin one `of said sections,

weights counter-balancing said door when .4. Are"door comprising a plurality ot horizontal hinged sections, two of said. sections folding outwardly, Vguides for engaging two. ofsaid sections, .lugs Acarried by said guidesl for engaging the other ofv said sections,pmeans for temporarily holding vsaid door, in a raised and foldedposition, and .means for temporarily retardingthe move.- "ment of one of said sections when Vthe first vmentioned means is released. D y

5;'A iire. d'ooi` ycomprising a plurality pf' hinged' sectidns, two of said sections lbeing adaptedl to vfoldoutwardly,v guides for en.

gaging two of said sections, lugs'carried by -said guidesfor .engaging the other of said'.

sections, and means for temporarily holding two yof said sections in a folded position.

6. A fire door comprising a weighted sec tion; an intermediate-section and a top section, guides-'for said weighted and top sece tions,- rneans for temporarily holding said .Weighted `section in an elevated position ,with the other o f's'aid sections folded, and means for temporarily retarding the movetioned means is released.

7. A ire door comprising .vertically mov.-

ing hinged folding sections, means for temporarily holding said sections in a folded position, and means for retarding the'movementof one of said sections when the first mentioned means is released.

8. A fire doorcomprisiiig three hinged sections, two ofvsa'id sections folding out 4 Wardly, means for temporarily retaining 'mentof said top section when thefirstrnensaid sections in a folded position, means for guiding two of said sections, and means for retarding the closing movementof 'one of said sections. i l

. 9., In a fire door which closes an opening, and which is composed of the following elementsV in combination, namely ,'-the door sections hinged together, barsf'for guiding two of saidsections and cut away to permit of the folding movement of two of said sections ,-mechanism for maintaining said door sections temporarily elevated, and mechanism for eiecting a retardation of the closing movement of one of said sections.

10. A fire dor comprising a -weighted lower section, an intermediate section hlnged to said Weighted section, a top section'hinged tosaid intermediate section, the top section and the intermediate section adapted to fold outwardly, means connected. to the weighted section tojnormally hold all ofthe .sections elevated with the top section and the intermediate section iny vfolded position,

guides for said sections 'in which the ends of,

the weighted section are received, and guide lugs 'carrled by said guldesto be engaged by the intermediate section as the vdoor sec' tions are .lowered whereby the said linter'- Iediate section is forced into alinement' v with the weighted Section.

11.'A fire door comprising a weighted l .and intermediate section Aadapted to fold outwardly, means connected to the weighted section to normally hold 'all of thedoorsec-` tions elevated 'withthe top section and intermediate section in folded position, guides for said sections in which theiends ofthe weighted section are received, and means carried by saidguides to be engaged by the intermediate section'as the door sections are lowered whereby the said section is section` l f .Intestimony whereof I aflix my. sigrfaforced into alinement with the weightedY ture inthe presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT W. HARE. v

J. TRrGG. Y 

